With the catastrophic events in the Middle East as well as the chaos here at home, it’s understandable that many of us would like to bury our heads in the sand. It’s been difficult to watch the atrocities unfold in the Israel-Hamas war. It seems every day is another step closer to world destruction.
Joe Biden Takes a Break
Unfortunately, global leaders don’t have the same luxury.
The last thing they need is the perception that they are not taking a crisis seriously.
In an unprecedented dumb move, Joe Biden was seen strolling with his wife, Jill, on the beach near his vacation home in Rehoboth, Delaware on Sunday.
He dismissed a reporter shouting over the sound of wind and waves asking, “Mr. President … have you heard anything about American hostages?”
The video went viral on X over the weekend. The RNC Research account posted it, writing, “Americans are still being held hostage by Hamas terrorists – and Joe Biden is at the beach.”
The iconic 50 Cent, even added his two cents.
In a post on Instagram, where he has amassed almost 30 million followers, the rapper said, “Hey Joe, get the **** up, we in trouble man!” under a post that shows Biden laying on the beach with wife Jill from the summer.
He also stated, “We got some real **** going on out here Joe. What’s the plan to get a tan and chill come on now.”
In Defense of Joe Biden
White House Deputy Spokesperson Andrew Bates told Fox News Digital that Biden “works long hours every day” and that he spoke with several world leaders about his “support for Israel’s right to defend itself and push for aid to innocent Palestinians.”
Bates pushed back against the criticisms, saying, “As has been the case for the better part of a century, presidents can execute the full range of their duties from anywhere in the world – whether it’s a war zone in Israel or 100 miles from the White House in Delaware.”
This is true. However, it may be prudent to not get caught taking a leisurely stroll on the beach while the world is on fire. Particularly when your approval ratings are already in the crapper.
Optics Matter
As I’ve said in previous pieces, optics matter.
It didn’t look good when Gavin Newsom dined at French Laundry in the middle of his strictest Covid lockdown orders. Nor when he traveled to Mexico after he declared a state of emergency during some of California’s most devasting weather earlier this year.
It didn’t look good when Ted Cruz hopped the border with his family to Cancun while Texas experienced its worst freeze in history and thousands lost access to electricity and water.
It doesn’t look good when the President of the United States strolls along a sandy beach when over two hundred people, some American, are being held hostage by a terrorist organization in Gaza.
We all need and deserve breaks from daily life. Of course everyone, even the President, is entitled to get some exercise and stay healthy in times of emergency.
But the next time Joe Biden wants to escape from the stress of his high-pressure job, maybe he should consider something a little less open to public scrutiny. He can try what the rest of us who don’t have beachfront property do – dim the lights, light a few candles, and slip into a nice bubble bath. It’s less likely the press will snap a shot of him there.
Jennifer Galardi is the politics and culture editor and opinion writer for 19FortyFive.com. She has a Master’s in Public Policy from Pepperdine University and produces and hosts the podcast Connection with conversations that address health, culture, politics, and policy. In a previous life, she wrote for publications in the health, fitness, and nutrition space. In addition, her pieces have been published in the Epoch Times and Pepperdine Policy Review. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
